him hitherto to preuaile But as the byers sellers were not cast out of the Temple of Ierusalem albeit Christ with his whippe preassed diuerse times to expel them So for al the crying out and preaching of the faithful messengers of God with threatnings vsed against such persones yet they cease not bur adde daylie more and more aswell they of the nobilitie as others following their ensample to robbe spoyle buye conquest occupy the kirk-rents Herefore if the Iewes might justly be accused by the Apostle who being contented to haue a bare knowledge of the Law of God liued no better then they that lacked a law How much more we who bragge of a sincere knowledge of the Gospell as being needfull to order our liues thereby not onely liue otherwise licenciously but also many amongst vs so far as in vs lyeth stoppe and hinder the propagation of the kingdome of Christ In so farre that they holde him a man of no accounte hauing any power in these corrupted dayes who hath not polluted his handes with some spoyle of the Kirk-goods And as to the doctrine of the worde it is so become loathsome to these men that if they heare it they heare it with deafe eares are no more mooued at the rebuke of this their sacrilegious dealing nor if they were stupide blockes or Idols without al sense of hearing For they cease not still to maintaine and advance this detestable sinne And daylie inuente new practises and coloured titles of the law to augment and foster the same both in hearte and deede Notwithstanding that such deuourers of Christ his patrimonie are reckoned by the godly Fathers to be murtherers of the poore for it is a certaine kinde of murther indeed And to this purpose I will here cite certaine of the authorities of the auncientes that it may bee knowne how odious this sinne of Sacrilege was in their eies AVGVSTINE vppon IOHN speaking of IVDAS the traitour writeth this IVDAS is amongst the Sain◅es IVDAS is a thiefe yea a sacrilegeous thiefe not a thiefe of the common sorte A thiefe of purses if criminall persones of all kinde of thieft be damned in judgement more of that thieft which is called peculatus For peculatus is the thieft of publick things And thieft of priuate thinges is not so judged as publick thieft How much more detestablie is a sacrilegious thiefe to be judged Who dare be bolde to steale euen from the Kirk of God Who stealeth any thing from the Kirke from that foorth is compared to one that is lost This farre AVGVSTINE In an other place calleth the teindes the tribute of needy soules And that so manye poore as dye in default of paymente thereof by famine they that with-holde the same and apply them to their owne particular vses are to bee holden guyltie before the justice seate of God of so many murthers AMEROSE likewise willeth that the goods of the Kirke be giuen to the vse of the poore rather then the sacrilegious enemie to spoyle and carry the same away And HIEROME writeth thus To bereaue any thing from a friend is thieft but to defraude the Kirk is sacrilege To reserue that which is to be bestowed vpon the poore and hungrie is ether craftines or fearefulnes but to with-draw any thing from it is a most manifest impiety and passeth the crueltie of all robbers I might cite many auncient Cannons of councelles to this effect besides the cannons authorities of Bishops of Rome which are innumerable others mentioned in the decrees collected by GRATIAN but for shortnes I remit them that list to reade of this matter to the seuen eight Cannons of the councell called Gangrense holden about the yeare of Christ. 324. Item the Councel of Carthage-4 cap. 31. 32. And of Antioche cap. 25. Item the Councell called Agatheuse holden about the 440. in diuerse Cānons thereof with many other to the like purpose Yea the Ethnike PLATO writeth in his lawes that of all haynous doings it is to be counted on of the greatest that is done against holy things And further he saieth the sacrilegious holde one of three thinges either that God is not or that he regardeth not the thinges done by men or at leaste wilbe easily reconciled when such impietie is committed with sacrifices and such ceremonies as were vsed amongst the Gentiles But now to take vp this matter for the presente it is expedient to declare howe this Idole of sacrilegious avarice first begouth to take roote amongst vs and by what meanes it was increased and nurished And finally what great and hydeous branches it hath spred through the whole cuntrie The beginning indeede was small in respect of the increase For at the first reformation of Religion amongst vs they who tooke the worke in hand which were an few part mooued of a pure zeale to Gods glorie and advancemēt of the Gospel of Iesus Christ stood not to hazard life lands and whatsoeuer they had to promoate the good cause and according to their zeales the Lord granted them a good issue of their enterprise Yet a great many not onely of the raskall sorte but sundry men of name and worldly reputation joyned themselues with the congregation of the reformers not so much for zeale of religion as to reape some earthly commoditie and to be inriched by spoyle of the Kirkes and Abbey places And when the Preachers told them that such places of Idolatrie should be pulled downe they accepted gladly the enterprise rudely passing to worke pulled down all both Idoles places where they were found Not making difference betweene these places of Idolatrie and many Parish-Kirks where Gods word shuld haue bin preached in many parts where they resorted as in such tumultes and suddainties vseth to come to passe namelye among such a nation as we are So their persones I meane so manye of them that had more respecte to the spoyle of Kirks no◅ to religion I count to haue bene the first sacrilegious amongst vs. With these I joyne an other sorte both of Gentlemen and labourers of the grounde that were put in hope to haue their ◅eindes al-to-gether discharged And in that respect rather then any zeale of religion did assiste the reformation Nowe albeit they were frustrate of their expectation yet their intention being to appropriate the Kirk rentes to their own vse they cannot be excused at leaste of a sacrilegious meaning An other thing fell out at that time which may be excused by reason of necessitie when as the Lordes and some of the Nobilitie principall enterprysers of the reformation hauing to doe with the French men and many their assisters of our owne Nation enemies to these proceedings were forced not onely to ingage their owne landes and bestowe whatsoeuer they were able to furnish of their owne patrimonie for maintenance of men of warre and other charges but also to take the Lead Belles with other Iewelles and ornaments of
Kirkes abbayes other places of superstition to employ the same and the prises thereof to resist the enemies The most parte of the Realme beand in their contrarie This I say cannot be altogether blamed For in like cases wee finde examples in the Scriptures how things dedicated euen to the true seruice of God for necessities cause were distracted and employed to stay the fury of enemies not onely by such Kinges as had made defection from the puritie of Religion but also by one of the most godly Kings of Iuda EZECHIAS by name who gaue to the king of Ashur to pacifie his inuasion not onely all the money that was founde in the house of the Lorde a◅d in the Kings treasurie but also pulled off the plates that couered the doores of the Temple and the Pillers which he himselfe had couered with golde And by the Ciuill Lawes and Cannons of councelles it is permitted for necessities cause as for ransoming of Captaines to annaly such things as be dedicat to the seruice of God But this is no excuse to them who in that time of tumult for their owne particular gaines cause medled either with gold siluer or other thing that mainteined the Idolatrie superstitiō of Papists For they could not vsurp it with good conscience Although for eschewing of great inconueniences there was a law and act of parliamēt made to absolue thē before men called the acte of Obliuion Albeit I can not see how these men not being constrained for maintenance of the publick actiō may be sufficiētly excused in good cōscience before God that meddle with either bels lead relicques Iewels stones timber or such like things of any effectual valure taken by thē of the demolishing of abbeies cathedral-kirks Frieries nunries or any such like places which ought rather to haue bin bestowed vpō the kirks affaires or vpō the poor And in tokē that God was offended with thē making the spoile of the kirk to cleaue to their hands it was shortly sene that the Lorde blew so vpon it that it vanished away from the most part of them And they that thinke now to make profit by spoyling the kirk shall feele a judgment of God following them as many of them already confesse by experience that their houses are nothing enriched but rather damnified therby For there followeth such a curse secret mishap vpō that kinde of graith that when euen for necessarye causes it is applyed to profane vses oftentimes it neither profiteth them that giue it nor that receue it EZECHIAS was not delivered from SENNACHERIB for al that he gaue him For he immediatly brake his promise And the Lead that was taken off our Kirkes and Monasteries a greate parte perished by Sea and an other was little advantage to them who medled therewith But all this was of small accounte in respect of that which after hath followed and dayly falleth out in this vnruly common-wealth For from the yeare of our Lorde 1560. vnto this present time the greatest study of all men of power of this land hes bene by all kinde of inventions to spoyle the Kirk of Christ of her patrimonie by chopping and changing diminishing of rentals cōuerting of victual in small sumes of money setting of fewes within the availe ◅ong tackes vppon tackes with two or three life-rentes with many twentie yeares in an tack annexationes erectiones of Kirk rents in temporall liuings and heritage pensiones simple donationes erecting of new patronages vnion of teindes making of new Abbattes Commendatares Priors with other Papistical titles which ought to haue no place in a reformed Kirk and cuntrie with an infinite of other corrupt and fraudfull waies to the detriment and hurte of the Kirke the schooles and the poore without any stay or gaine-calling till all the reuenues of the Kirke are so wracked that the posteritie may looke for a playne decay of Religion which cannot stande vnlesse it be holden vp by preaching and preaching cannot be had without prouision vnlesse God by some meanes put to his mercifull hand and remeid these euils For this deceitfull Idole of auarice in spoyling the Kirke goodes hath so seased the selfe in mens heartes that amongst vs the meanes are already taken away in many parts where by the ordinarie ministerie should be susteined Yea a great part of the Realme lacke Pastours and Ministers The Kirks are reviued and manye of them made Sheepe-coates or applyed to more filthy vses O what barbarous crueltie is it to beholde and suffer so many poore soules perishing for lacke of their ordinarie foode which is the word of God not onely in the out-Iles Hie-landes and Bordoures of Scotland but also in many partes of the Law-lande so that either Papistr◅e and Idolatrie must needes enter in againe or either plaine Athiesme take place with all contempt of Religion amongst these miserable destitute people And what a count shall they giue vnto God that are the cause not onely of murthering the poore by withdrawing from them the foode of their bodies but by causing so many soules lacke the Spirituall foode whereby they should be nourished vnto euerlasting life in Christ by their insatiable auarice Trueth it is Parliamentes haue bene conveened and actes haue bene made for providing Ministers of competent liuinges for reparaling of Parish-Kirkes for trayning vp the youth in schooles of Theologie It hath bene also promised and subscribed in writte by a greate parte of the Nobilitie that the poore labourers of the grounde should haue an ease and reliefe of the rigorous exacting of their teindes and many other good thinges haue bene devised tending to the advancement of the glorie of GOD and establishing of Christ his Kingdome Amongst vs namely in time of the gouernemente of that good Regente whome for honoures cause I name who although he could not doe all that hee woould haue done hauing so manie hinderances and enemies yet his dooings might haue bin a perfite paterne of Godlinesse to the reste of the Nobilitie to make them bene content to liue vppon their owne rentes and to cease from robbing and spoyling the Patrimonie of the Kirke But experience hath declared and dayly doth declare the moste parte of such professoures vnder-takers of Religion and for-faking of Idolatrie to haue fought and yet seeke none other thing but to pull to them-selues the Kirke-goodes possest by Papistes And to foster as a Serpente in their bosome that venemous Idole of auarice For all insatiable auaricious persones are Idolaters indeed and it cannot be but by making a God of vnlawful gaine they deny the liuing God dishonoring him most ignominiously by setting in their hearts that Mammon of iniquitie which they loue better then him in his place And if all avariceous men generally after this maner may be called Idolaters how much more they who spare not to fil their houses with the spoile of the Lord his house and of the poore How dare they either call vpon his Maiestie or come
For if they had not beleeued that these their gifts were to be applyed to the seruice of God and godly vses they would never haue bestowed any of their substance rentes or lan◅es to any Kirk or religious place That this is true It is manifest by their euidents fundations and charters made vpon such donations in the words dispositiue euer bearing this clause Deo Ecclesiae to God and his Kirke before they make mention of any Saint place or other vse whereto the same was to be applyed Nowe seeing all these gifts are so giuen it is reason that God being first named in the Charters haue the firste place as beste and worthiest and as the principall receiuer of these donationes which are nothing else but a small portion of his owne which hee before hath giuen vnto them A◅d as a certaine zealous man was wonted to saye let God haue his life-rente as the first person expressed in the charters take thē the rest I adde to this answere giuing not granting that the principal final cause wher fore these giftes were bestowed should cease yet it is no reasō that the same shuld returne to the giuers or their aires being once simply disponed giuē to the kirks vse yea and mortifyed therto as they vse to speake which the laws call publick dedication to the Kirke But in the same in that case if the cause wherfore they were giuen be not a good cause these gifts are to be applyed to more godly vses not profane vses according to that common rule of the law quod semel Deo dicat est deo c. The things once dedicat to God may not therafter be applyed to profane vses without great necessity as for redemptiō of captiues or other like cases And for this purpose maketh that notable decisiō of Modestine an anciēt jurisconsult wher of the sum is That a certain leg◅cy being left to a citty for a spectable to be done in memorial of the dead which was not law full to be done in such a Citty It were wrong said he that this legacie should returne backe to the aires of him that left it but the same ought to bee bestowed vppon an other lawfull vse And as these lawes conteine great equitie so were they well practised in the dayes of AVGVTTINE For when the Magistrates did take from the Donatistes their possessiones which they had of the Kirke and they complayned and disputed that none should be depriued of their reuenues for dissention of religiones cause That holy Father answered that these goodes perteined to the Kirk and therefore being rightly taken from them who had made a separation from the Kirk the same should be applyed to other Godly vses of the Kirk As to the Princes part in these matters wee shall speake God willing hereafter But yet to aunswere further to these men who object that their predecessoures as they say gaue such landes and rentes vnto the Kirke in blinde zeale and so they haue reason to take the same againe The antecedent or assumption of this argumēt albeit it were admitted to them to proue I suppose it should remaine vnprouen by a great many of them who are most greedie to invade the Kirk-rentes nowe adayes For such as they be readier as the Proverbe saith to eate the Kirk-loafe then to giue it Yet supposing it were verified it is of no force to serue their turne neither doth the consequent follow thereupon For although they or their antecessors had giuen such thinges to the Kirk by what reason should they take the same againe at their pleasure For what is freer then gift or what is more vnhonest and against humanitie then to take the gift againe being once freely disponed supposing it were giuen to a priuate man whereof he had brooked long possession Howe much more shameles and vnhonest were it to the giuer to take it againe by force Then by stronger reason should this be thought vnlawfull concerning things giuen to God and his Kirk which as the Scripture sheweth cannot be redeemed again but is to be restored whatsoeuer is defrauded thereof although it were by ignorance or else the value with a fift part more To this purpose perteineth that solemne protestation which the people made when they brought in their teindes and offrings to the Lord. And although these be counted among the Mystical politick lawes yet the substance thereof as was proved before remaines to wit the lawe ought not to defraude God his Kirk of their duetie To the which purpose yet let vs heare what AMBROSE a godly father speaketh of such men as would cal back againe that which they haue giuē to the vse of the Kirk There be some saith he who after they haue giuē their goods to the kirk rashly think to revoke the same of whō nether the former gift deserueth thanks nor the latter doing is allowable For the former lacketh judgment the other hath with it Sacrilege There bee some whome it repenteth to haue distributed their goods to the poore but concerning them that so repent it is only to be feared ◅hat they shal not repent of this their rep◅ntance See how this anciēt father doubts not to cal them sacrilegious who take againe from the kirk any thing albeit they themselues haue giuen it To this agrees very wel the law of Iustiniane in this sentēc◅ Seeing it lieth in the hart of a man to do or not do any thing that he intendeth it becommeth him either not to proceede to the doinge thereof or else haste to performe it Not defrauding his purpose by any craftie colour of his irreligious minde so much the more this ought he to take heed to if the gift be depute to godly vses or persons of religiō least he be found not only void of religion but also vngodly And so be subject not onely to the penalty of the law but also to punishmente from heauen And notwithstanding not only he but also his successors in this case shal be compelled to restore that which they haue taken wit-holden with the rest that followes To the same purpose it is is said in another law written in the same title of Donationes speaking of things giuen by mens predecessors that it availeth nothing to say such things perteined to our progenitors after that the right and donation thereof is deuolved to others Yet to beamfill their first argument these men may alleage say that things dedicate to the kirk in Papistrie were dedicat to Idolatry which was not only vnholy but also abominable before God consequētly the lands rents so dedicat can no waies be called holy and so apparantly would infer they ought not to be applyed to the holy seruice of God but rather to profane vses This argumēt they see not how much it makes against themselues For if these things offred to idole seruice be abhominable why bring they abhomination into